The event, created to promote innovative projects and methodologies, in the name of environmental and architectural sustainability, was born from the namesake competition launched in 2018 for the realization of projects capable of stimulating the redevelopment of Italian territories, contending the consumption of soils and providing environmental damage.

In the two sections, related to the project lines “Homes for sustainable living” and “Urban regeneration“, the participants have ventured respectively in the design of a single-family ecological house of 45 square meters and in a project of redevelopment of architectural and functional brownfields and abandoned.

React Studio participated in the competition with the CARTHOME project for the section “Homes for sustainable living” and being selected among the winners, had the opportunity to realize the model of the ecological house in 1: 1 scale within the spaces of Ex Mattatoio.

The project, conceived as a sustainable modular house, easy and quick to assemble, presents a singular characteristic. The main structural element consists of a cardboard tube. Used with different sections, this element made it possible to create two types of structure at the same time: “frame“, thanks to the circular section tubes and “supporting masonry“, thanks to square-section tubes positioned in sequence.

Completely biodegradable and optimal from the construction point of view for temporary constructions, the choice of the cardboard tube was dictated both by its intrinsic ecological value and by the rapidity of aggregation and disposal of each of its individual components. Needless to say that the savings in economic terms did not have its importance!

The economic factor, in fact, has constituted a particularly significant problem for the realization of CARTHOME.

Since the execution of the real housing model could take place only through own financing or from companies directly involved in the project, numerous difficulties were encountered in the initial phase regarding this issue. But, thanks to the funding provided by the company MOBA Eurotubi S.r.l., which in addition to offering itself available to finance the entire project, was responsible for providing all the necessary material for the construction – and above all the legendary cardboard tubes – it was possible make the prototype that made us so proud. And thanks are not just for MOBA! The Consorzio Stabile Vitruvio was also a fundamental part of the project: available to work with us without any kind of compensation, they worked tirelessly under the sun of these hot weeks of September!

And that’s not all.

Do you want to knowwhy we so strongly care about the CARTHOME project?

The answer is obvious! Naturally for BIM!

The BIM methodology allowed us, first of all, from the preliminary stages of the competition to carry out energy simulations and to identify the most efficient orientation for the exploitation of winds and solar incidence. Then, the aspect of engineering. The BIM model helped us, not only in the systematic control of the quantity of elements used, but also in the verification and assessment of costs.

But the most important aspect perhaps was represented by the certain definition of the construction phases. The constructive model has made possible a 360 degree management on a work so small, but certainly complex! The study of the wood anchoring nodes of the pipes, the solution of the foundations, the distribution of wood fiber panels, were just some of the countless aspects investigated thanks to the Building Information Modeling!

The house will remain on display throughout the month of October! We are waiting for you at the Ex Mattatoio di Testaccio!